How to Be Mindful When Decorating Your Home

Avoid a decor disconnect in your home by decorating the rooms as parts of a whole instead of separate, individual spaces. Using similar colors, patterns, and fabrics will help each room flow into the next and maintain harmony and balance. As you decorate, keep in mind how you can reuse colors and patterns in adjoining rooms. If you choose neutral upholstered accent chairs for your living room, you could use the same fabric for the seat cushions in your dining room.

Setting an intention is the first step to achieving your end goal. It’s necessary to set an intention for each space in your home before you arrange it, so you have a better idea of where things should go and why. Take your living room, for example. Is your intention for it to be a space to relax and decompress or entertain and play? A relaxing living room could have plush rugs and a multitude of throws, whereas a room for entertaining might be decorated around the television with extra seating for guests. Once your intention for the room is set, the decorating and arranging will fall into place.

When diving into the world of mindful decorating, you need to be aware of any decoration that can affect your mood. The colors you use in your home can influence your mood, energy, and emotions. By using a mindful color palette, you can evoke a mood that fits the intention of the spaces you’re decorating. Soft, cool shades like light blue, mint green, and soft grey encourage feelings of relaxation while bold, warm colors like red, yellow, and orange stimulate energy and excitement. Look for a color palette that you can cohesively use throughout your entire house.

Whether it’s a seemingly endless pile of papers with a long-forgotten origin or a constantly growing pile of items that were never put away, your clutter has a negative effect on your mental well-being. Clutter can actually cause emotional and mental harm and hinder your ability to focus. To get rid of all the clutter in your home, once and for all, read How to Declutter Your Home and get to work.

Choosing art for a mindful home is more than finding something that fits your color scheme. Like the colors you use, your art should evoke an emotion, memory, or idea that’s meaningful to you. Consider setting an intention for your art. How do you want to feel when you see it? After you figure out the desired emotional outcome, you can look for something with a color that fits your palette. Arrange your art pieces in places of prominence around your home to amplify their effect. Above the mantel, over an entry table, and above your bed are ideal location options to catch your attention on a daily basis.

Decorating with plants and flowers is a mindful way to add a breath of life into your home. By purifying the air, plants can actually promote health in your home and boost your mood. Include them strategically throughout your house for the most benefits. Since all plants will have similar health benefits, feel free to choose them based on visual appeal. If you’re worried about taking care of your plants, opt for artificial plants instead. You don’t have to worry about keeping them alive indefinitely, and you can switch them out based on your mood or the season.

Well-rounded home decor includes items that spark your senses. Look for elements to fulfill your tactile, auditory, visual, and aromatic needs. Fill your home with sounds that accompany a place of peace and relaxation with soft music or nature sounds. Indoor water features contribute to the ambiance with the soothing sound of flowing water. A variety of textures, from soft, plush throws to rough, woven wall hangings, satisfies a visual desire for dimension while providing ample touchable surfaces. Complete the sensory experience with scents from flowers, candles, or potpourri to evoke comforting thoughts and memories.

To maintain a clutter-free home, you’ll need to have a system of regular decluttering. If you dread cleaning, try to change your perspective and stay mindful about the chore. Focus on the end result of a clean, uncluttered home and the satisfaction you’ll feel when you’re done. Plus, straightening a little bit every day will save you from a huge overhaul.

Follow these tips for daily maintenance:

• Don’t set things down temporarily; always put them where they belong.
• Find a home for everything that fits the intention of your space and toss anything that doesn’t.
• Don’t bring unneeded clutter into your home.
• Get rid of anything that doesn’t have a clear use right now.